Chapter 14: Family Event
Moana

“I’ll pay.”

Ella and I were both shocked when we turned around to see Edrick standing there, credit card in hand, his face covered by sunglasses and a surgical mask.

“Daddy!” Ella exclaimed.

Edrick handed the ice cream salesman his credit card and ruffled Ella’s hair. “Eat your ice cream before it melts,” he said, guiding us away from the stand and the people behind us who were getting quickly annoyed at us for holding up the line to get ice cream.

“I thought you had to work,” Ella said.

“I decided to come home early so I could spend your birthday with you after all,” Edrick replied. “But you weren’t home. Selina told me that you went on an outing…” I couldn’t see his eyes through his sunglasses, but the way his head slowly turned toward me told me everything I needed to know.

looked embarrassingly down at my rapidly-melting ice cream. We approached a bench and Edrick instructed Ella to sit while she finished her ice cream, then he stood

did you take her out if you had no money?” he

I replied. “I haven’t had to take out money in a while. And besides, the driver is close; it would’ve only taken a minute for him to

and said nothing else. Ella, who had been listening the entire time, suddenly jumped up from her bench. “This is the best birthday ever!” she said very quickly. “Please, I

father would make her go home, and Edrick’s next

“It’s really not safe for us to be

out in a pout. “But it’s my birthday,” she whined. “You never want to

I said quietly. “Let her enjoy her birthday.

for a few moments before letting out a deep sigh and crouching to wipe the ice cream off of Ella’s face

squealed in delight and, taking both of our hands, began to drag us around the theme park with just as much — if not more — fervor as she had when it was just the two of us. As we spent the afternoon walking around the theme park, I couldn’t help but take out my phone to secretly snap some sweet pictures of Ella and Edrick together. It was so sweet watching them play games together, and seeing Ella sitting on

Edrick and I began to feel tired. Ella, however, still had just as much energy, and insisted on one more ride before we went

on his lap. As we started to go up, now that we were safe from prying eyes, Edrick took off his

needed a fun outing

an involuntary gasp came out of my mouth. The way that the last rays of sunlight refracted across the treetops as they swayed in the hot summer breeze, and the way that the string lights lit up the park below us, made the city feel even more dazzling than

to see Ella giggling and peering out over the crowd. And behind her, her father

was looking at

had only glanced at me on accident. Soon, the ferris wheel began to roll us back downward, lowering

his mask back on then got out with Ella in one of his arms. Then, he turned around and held out his other hand for me to help me out. My blush deepened as I felt his cool

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